A Valentine's Tail
by Jknight97
Summary: A date like no other...


**A/N: **So, here it is, my late contribution to the one day of the year when hearts go bump-didi-bump in the night. And as always, #WildeHopps will rule forever. Nothing fancy, just something that needed to be written as my muse wouldn't let me sleep. Many thanks to Cimar and Stubat for beta-reading. For now, may the eternal sweetness of fluff keep you enveloped in its sugary embrace.

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by ©Disney except for original characters created by me. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

* * *

Judy and Nick exited the hospital emergency doors. Judy was dressed in a floor-length red evening gown that hugged her svelte body while Nick wore an off-white three-piece suit; typical clothes that one would see couples wearing on a date. Except that Judy's gown was ripped from the hem to her hip, exposing the world to a delectable sight of her leg encased in black stockings and garters as she walked whilst Nick's suit was ripped at the shoulder and stained in dark crimson. The fox sulked in a wheelchair as he was wheeled to their car by a male opossum nurse. Aside from the angry scowls the fox and bunny wore, they both shared a stony silence while the marsupial gushingly serenaded the two about how big a fan he was of their exploits.

"I mean, I didn't think that anything exciting would happen on All Hearts Day yet here you both are! I'm such a fan of yours and I can't wait to tell the missus about it!" Fern continued to rave on and on, blissfully unaware of the cold quiet between the couple. "Here ya go, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde," he said, stopping next to their vehicle as he held open the passenger door for Nick to get in. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening. And don't be stopping for any more bank robberies, ya hear?" He chuckled at his own joke as he left.

As they headed back home, the pair continued their mute conversation as unspoken recriminations were exchanged. As the car came to halt at a stoplight, Nick awoke from his smoldering stupor and secretively glanced at the beautiful angry bunny on his left. He drank in the stiffness of her ears, paws that tightly gripped the steering wheel, and he could hear a low grinding sound emanating from her clenched jaw. Furious at her demeanour, he was about to retreat back into his sullen hustler shell when his ears pricked up at the sound of a quiet sniffle. Peeking once more, he observed the melancholy track of a lonely tear making its way down her cheek.

Mentally sighing, Nick quietly kicked himself and straightened his slouched posture as he rearranged the sling his left arm was encased in.

"Hey, Carrots? Why did the can crusher quit his job?"

Confusion crossed Judy's face as she looked annoyedly at the vulpine sitting next to her.

"Because it was soda pressing." Nick replied matter-of-factly. "What do you call a belt made of watches?"

"..."

"A waist of time," the fox chuckled as he continued his monologue. "Wanna buy a broken barometer? No pressure."

Judy turned her attention back to the road to focus on driving as the light turned green. However, the vulpine observed that her right ear was slightly turned towards him. Encouraged, he pushed on.

"I really don't understand mammals who preserve four leaf clovers. They're just pressing their luck."

"What did one nut say to the other it was chasing. 'I'm a cashew.'"

"There was a brawl in a seafood restaurant. There were battered fish everywhere."

"What's the difference between a hippo and a Zippo? One's very heavy while the other is a little lighter."

"Why are pirates called pirates? Because they 'ARRRRRR'!"

With a quiet snort, Judy pulled into their driveway of their apartment and parked the car. She remained stoically silent until she felt a furry finger gently caress her cheek.

"C'mon, Mrs. Wilde. Admit it. You like my jokes." Nick whispered.

Her paw quickly captured the errant finger and slightly twisted it, causing Nick to yelp in pain as his head ended up in her lap.

"I'm still mad at you," Judy muttered angrily as she fixed her glare in front of her.

"I know," Nick sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for what happened tonight–"

"And your jokes are horrible."

"You wound me, madam. They're great dad jokes."

She reached out with one paw to stroke his ears while the other caressed his muzzle. "If you continue to do stupid things like tonight, you'll never be able to enjoy being one. I could have handled that tiger."

"But you didn't see the gun and if I didn't step in, you'd be the one wearing this sling or maybe worse."

"Well, at least they can't say I used unnecessary force to apprehend him."

"He may disagree considering that he won't be able to chew anything for over a month with a broken jaw."

"Still," she frowned as she finally looked into his emerald orbs, "you can't always be protecting me. The citizens of Zootopia have to come first. That's our promise and duty: 'To serve and protect'."

"Were there any law-abiding citizens in the vicinity of the crime scene? No, no, there were none. Was the love of my life in critical danger? Yes, yes, she was. I don't see any issues there."

Groaning in frustration, Judy covered her face with her paws. "You're not getting me, Nick. Is this always going to be the case? Do I also have to prove to _you_ that I have what it takes to be a cop? That I have to constantly worry about _you_ putting _your_ life on the line for _me_ instead of letting _me_ do my job? What if I lose you because you're trying to act like you're the hero all the time? What then? Did you even think about that? Did you think of the pain I'd go through if I lost you?"

Chagrined, Nick finally realized the anguish he was putting his wife through. "No," the chastised fox whispered. "I'm sorry, Judy. I... I can't help myself. I know I shouldn't treat you like some maiden-in-distress; unable to protect yourself. Or like some precious fragile vase that could be shattered at any moment. Time and time again, you've proven to me and our colleagues that you're a force to be reckoned with."

"Exactly!" Judy said, throwing her paws in the air. "Then, why the knight-in-shining armour act?"

Nick rubbed the back of his neck as he reflected on his answer. "I guess… it's just… after all those years out on the street, I finally have someone who loves me for what I am. And yet," he paused as he looked up into shimmering purple pools, "I feel that I'm really not worthy of your love. I feel that I need to show you that I'm capable of delivering the goods. That I'm the real deal and not some fly-by-night fool who doesn't appreciate you for what you are."

"Urgh! You stupid, idiotic, loveable fox!" She chastised her spouse, pulling on his ear to force him to look at her left paw, eliciting a yip of pain from him. "Nick! Do you see this ring on my finger? Do you remember what we vowed at the altar? 'For richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad times, till death do us part.' I'm not going away! You're not getting rid of me anytime no matter what you do. Unless you do something monumentally stupid like shacking up with a vixen. Then, I might have my father and brothers bury your flea-bitten carcass out in one of the many fields on our farm."

"No, no, I'm good!" Nick gulped in fear at the threat. "You know us red foxes! Ever loyal! Mates for life! Genetically indisposed to cheating!" He rushed to assure her.

"I know," she softened, chuckling at his dread. "I was just teasing. Besides, no one's gonna keep you happy in bed like me."

"Carrots! Don't go there." Nick groaned, his pants tightening as the sudden scent of her intoxicating smell assaulted him. "My shoulder still hurts. The doc said to take it easy for a while, and this view isn't helping."

"No, Nick, he said no sudden movements and that you're to be confined to bed rest while the stitches set. I'll do most of the moving." Judy teased as she rubbed her paw over his groin. "In the meantime," she waggled her eyebrows, "I've told Bogo that I'm taking all the unused leaves that I've accumulated in order to take care of you. Surprisingly, he gladly agreed and even threw in an extra month just to make sure you're well taken care of."

"Oh, well, in that case, Nurse Wilde, I'm at your disposal."

"Now, let's get in there and continue our interrupted date in the bedroom. Mama needs some lovin'."

….

Nick happily sighed as he caressed the limp body of his wife as she rested on his chest, his tail wrapped around her, keeping her warm. "I didn't think I had it in me but that sure was a great celebration."

"You're wrong, Slick," Judy contentedly purred from within her fur cocoon. "I had you in _me_."

"Judy! You're terrible!" Nick laughingly blushed.

"No, what's terrible is that we can't keep on going," his bunny yawned. "But I need to cut you some slack or else you'll be all fur and bones by the time I'm done with you."

"Mercy!" Nick pleaded in mirth.

"Oh, by the way, Nick, here's my All Heart's Day present for you," Judy said as she passed him a small box covered with typical generic seasonal gift wrapper.

"Now I feel guilty for not getting you anything," the tod lamented. "Here all this time, I was happy with the thought of you being my present, Carrots," Nick commented as he gingerly sat up, cradling her in his good arm. "You're going to have to open it for me as my paws are currently full of cute bunny."

"You say that as if it were a crime," she smirked.

"What's a crime is how you and I never met years earlier. I'm going to relish each and every day with you as if it were my last. And, given how high your sex drive is, it may very well come true."

"I'm only like this because of how you make me feel. So, stop complaining."

"Was I complaining? No, no I wasn't. Death by snu snu is quite appealing."

"Shut up, and open your present, Slick," Judy blushed as she pushed herself off him to sit up in his lap, foisting an impatient glare at her fox.

With her help, he unwrapped the small box and removed the cover. Catching a glimpse of the small plastic stick inside, his heart leaped to his throat.

"Is that a–?"

"Yes, yes, it is."

"But that means–"

"Yes, yes it does. Happy Hearts Day, Papa Wilde."


End file.
